The Wizards practiced what they have been preaching for weeks on Thursday night in their 92-85 win over the Denver Nuggets. For one night, there were no complaints about their focus and effort on the defensive end. It's a subject that John Wall and Scott Brooks, in particular, have harped on recently.

Wall himself saw improvement, afterwards saying: "I think we just played harder in the second half, that's the reason we came out with a win."

The Wizards saw against the Nuggets what can happen if they lock down on defense despite not having a great shooting night. The Wizards scored just 92 points and at times were cold on the offensive end. They shot just 36.5 percent in the first quarter.

"We've talked about us not playing hard, but it's really about being in the right spots," forward Markieff Morris said. "Some nights guys are just not gonna have it and other guys have to step up. That's what a team is."

While on the subject, Morris further discussed how the Wizards veteran core helps hold the team accountable. Brooks said earlier on Thursday that he likes seeing players communicate their differences and Morris considers himself a part of the leadership structure in a very specific way.

"It's a collective group. We're kind of a relatively young team. So, it's like Wall is the voice and I'm like the muscle. What he says, I will press it to them. Him and [Bradley] Beal, they're the leaders of the team and we just go as they go," Morris said.

"We talk about accountability all the time. At the end of the day, this is your job. You've gotta come to work just like everybody else. That's what you've gotta do on great teams is hold everybody accountable. Everybody's gotta do their job."

At this stage of his career, Jackson is a well-known deep threat. While much of the 2016 season has been disappointing for Jackson, in back-to-back weeks, the vertical passing attack has worked. In Arizona last Sunday, Jackson only caught one pass, but it went for 59 yards. On Thanksgiving in Dallas, Jackson hauled in a 67-yard touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins as part of his season-high 118 receiving yards.

"What he brings to this football team, he brings something that not a lot of people can bring, and that’s obviously the speed and the big play ability," 'Skins head coach Jay Gruden said of Jackson.

The last two games moved Jackson's yards-per-catch average back in normal range with the rest of his career at 16.5. Halfway through this season, Jackson was averaging below 14 YPC, which would have been by far the worst of his career.

"A lot of people think that we haven’t utilized his speed quite like we should, but I think he has had a major impact on this football team," Gruden said. "His deep threat has an impact on the defense. It opens up areas for Jordan Reed and Jamison Crowder and the backs sometimes. He’s been a major influence for this football team in a good way."

Beyond just the big plays, the Eagles defense has given up 645 passing yards in their last two games. Cousins has historically played well in Philadelphia, and should be in good position to do the same this weekend.

And based on the Eagles' past six games, expect Jackson to have another big game at Lincoln Financial Field.